Breastfeeding Help and Support

[lady1297]

CONGRATULATIONS Chloechloe!! :)

[catmom]

Hi all, I posted a question a few days ago but I think it got lost in the shuffle... I seem to have another little hole in my left nipple... DD (10 months) is teething, and this happened the last time she got a new tooth on the top as well. That time, it took about 2 weeks before it healed and it was really painful most of that time. I am thinking this may happen with all her new teeth on the top (gulp), so I'm wondering the best way to deal with this. Could I try using a nipple shield on that side until the hole heals (assuming she'll accept it), or is that a really bad idea? It really hurts a lot, and I'm not looking forward to dealing with this for another 2 weeks (or longer, since at some point she'll get more teeth up there!)

[Mickey&B]

I am having dental work tomorrow, and I am sure that I will be getting anesthesia (sp?) how long before I can BF again?

[Marisa]

M&B - most anything you'd be given for dental work is considered safe --

http://www.kellymom.com/health/illness/dentalwork.html

I think that you could probably nurse your baby immediately afterwards, if necessary.

catmom - I had great success with the shield, in fact I think it was the only way I managed to heal from some nasty blisters I got in the first few weeks. I don't see how it could hurt to try a shield, they're not expensive, the worst that could happen is that she's not into it. Definitely try to switch positions a little on that side too -- even just angling her slightly differently -- that might help prevent her teeth from rubbing and cutting you.

[newyorkgirl]

I was thinking this morning about how I really needed to go to my massage therapist and somehow that led to thinking about acupuncturists and this question that maybe Marisa or someone else can answer: Has anyone ever heard of a mom going to an acupuncturist/acupressurist/Eastern medicine specialist to help with breastfeeding issues?

I'm just curious. This recent attack of thrush has been particularly persistent - I guess each subsequent attack after the first probably contains more and more resistant yeast - and I had to get a refill for Diflucan from my OB. It just blows my mind that doctors don't have enough solutions for breastfeeding mothers and yet have a fix to nearly every other problem (especially if it requires an expensive medical procedure). So now I'm wondering if the answer/solution might lie somewhere else.

[EJM]

Newyorkgirl: Not for breastfeeding, but I have become a HUGE believer in acupuncture. I go for migraine headaches and have had great success. I know it is used to aid/treat/assist (not sure the right word) with infertility, and has been successful for many women. I thought it was a bunch of hocus pocus, but had tried everything else so thought "why not". After realizing how much my migraines have decreased I hope to keep up my treatments. Maybe TMI but I still had PP bleeding 5 weeks after, I went to an acupuncture session and she asked if I still was bleeding. She "treated" it and it stopped the next day. Of course it could be coincidence, but it reinforces in my mind that drugs are not necessarily the only cure for ailments in the human body.

If nothing else, it is an hour once a month where I get to take an uninterupted nap ;)

[Marisa]

Erika -- Sheila Humphrey talks about acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine in her book The Nursing Mother's Herbal. She seems to think that in general it can be a great idea, since TCM treats the nursing mother and baby as a unit. Of course she recommends seeing someone who is accredited, and she also reminds mothers to double-check any herbal remedies recommended, just in case there might be a side-effect for nursing mothers.

Although she's mainly discussing it in terms of low milk supply issues, she says that TCM should be commended for its attention to the specific needs of a lactating woman (there are two specific pressure points just for lactation).

You can find a certified practitioner here: http://www.nccaom.org/

[LeslieR]

Erika, ugh-I'm so sorry you're still dealing with thrush. It totally sucks and I don't know why some women are more prone than others.:mad: Mine got so much better with a combination of two things-Nystatin on my nipples after nursing and when I stopped leaking so much. I hope you find an answer!

Can I ask a question about AF and bf'ing? I know all women are different, I'm just curious what everyone's experiences have been. AF came to visit last month on Christmas Eve and stuck around for the normal amount of time that I used to have it before I was pregnant. This past Saturday I had really bad cramps and thought AF was back again. However, she never showed up. Is it common for it to come and go like that? I know she could still show up this month, but I'm curious if it's normal/common/whatever to have it once and then not come back again for a few months (God, I hope so!)? TIA!

[newyorkgirl]

Thanks, EJM and Marisa. I have a friend who goes to a great acupuncturist, so I'll get the name from her.

Meanwhile, when your supply is uneven, i.e. one breast produces significantly more than the other, how do you get the gimpy boob to make more? I try nursing DS on that side first each time, but he knows it has very little milk and will refuse to latch on and suck until letdown. I've tried switching his position to "confuse" him, but he still knows which one is the gimpy one.

[Surftraitor]

Weaning question--To reduce discomfort, i bought some red cabbage to wear in my bra. Now I've been reading more about it and it is recommended to use green cabbage. Is red okay or do I have to return to the store?

[jh124]

when your supply is uneven, i.e. one breast produces significantly more than the other, how do you get the gimpy boob to make more?
I'm having this same problem. It's even more pronounced now that I've returned to work and have to pump.

I refer to the left breast as Gimpy Boob and the right breast as Old Faithful. Never named my breasts before, but I'm 33 now, so I guess it's time.

[catmom]

Thanks, Marisa! Well, I tried the nipple shield this afternoon, but no dice. DD latched on, popped off, shot me a really funny look, and then... CHOMP! Yeowch. So I guess I'll just keep feeding her in an alternate position and hope this heals faster than last time. Oh, well.

[HGMorgann]

catmom the best thing for me to heal bites was to let the nipples air out as much as possible. Sorry you have a bite sore! They stink! We get them alot, so I understand:( Hope it heals up fast.

[SD601]

Um, this is probably TMI, but if I have an upset stomach (um, well, diarrhea), should I expect DS to have it? How long does it take for food I eat to affect baby's tummy? I don't remember eating anything that would cause it, but I don't remember more than a day ago!:)

[HGMorgann]

I have a very sensitive stomach and have those same issues and it never effects DD.

(example - if i eat pork...)

[lil_nance]

SD601 It may not affect him at all. I had food poisoning on Thanksgiving from something I ate the day before. DS was fine. I continued nursing through it.

[LexyLou]

Okay I cannot find Mother's Milk tea or the More Milk stuff anywhere...I live in San Diego not timbucktoo...geez. I wonder if I need to go to the breastfeeding store.

[mcl]

alexis--i got my mother's milk tea at whole foods and the brand is traditional medicinal. some people also got theirs at gnc. hope you find it soon. just a word of caution. i took it 3X a day instead of 5X a day and i was EXTREMELY engorged:eek: , but i guess people react to it differently.

[newyorkgirl]

I refer to the left breast as Gimpy Boob and the right breast as Old Faithful. Never named my breasts before, but I'm 33 now, so I guess it's time. LOL! Yeah, but do you talk to them like I do? ;)

[happy1nuv]

Is anyone taking a dha supplement? Do ya think you need one? kellymom's article said no, just eat more fish/nuts/seeds... but, i'm afraid to eat fish too often cause of the mercury (although i do eat shrimp on occasion) ... and all the other sites i found said it helped brain development, etc. (The supplements are not cheap tho)

??

[Marisa]

I was taking a DHA supplement for a while when I was pregnant, but it made me very nauseated for some reason. I switched to taking a spoonful of flaxseed oil after I had Joey. I would blend it into a smoothie for breakfast every day, and I'd never taste it.

Flaxseed oil is also on the expensive side -- I think that a bottle might be $10-12 at Whole Foods.... but since you're only taking a spoonful a day, it lasts for a really long time, a couple of months.

[JillyB]

DHA Supplement - My OB recommended Expecta LIPIL (http://www.expectalipil.com/). He also prescribed PrimaCare vitamins (http://www.primacareefa.com/), which also include DHA. I've been taking them both (actually, 3 pills...since PrimaCare is 2 pills/day), since I first found out that I was pregnant. I call them my "smarty pills" for DS. ;)

eta...Every single box of Expecta LIPIL that I've purchased has included a coupon (I think they're usually $1.50 or $2 off coupons). HTH!

[madmartian]

Is a shooting pain in a nipple the symptom of anything serious? I've had this unconfortable pain in one nipple for the past 2 weeks. It comes and goes. I want to get it checked out, but I don't know what doctor to go to (maybe the OB/GYN?) or what the doctor can possibly do for me (there are no visible symptoms i.e. lumps, wierd discharges). DD is 9 months and nurses 5 times a day. I can't think of any changes that correlate with the start of the pain. TIA.

[MrsTazlvr]

Funny you should be talking about DHA. I go to a BF support group and just yesterday the LC said that Expecta is just a way for formula companies to get BF Moms' money since they don't get it from formula. She said we make DHA so why do we need to take DHA pills? Now I am wondering. :confused:

[LeslieR]

madmartin, shooting pains are symptom of a yeast infection. Call your OB-either they will call you in a prescription or they will want to see you.

So, no one answered my AF question.:( For those who have had AF return, did she come back every month or was it sporadically?

[catmom]

Leslie:
AF for me has been every month since 6 months pp, but it still isn't regular... it has been every 24-40 days.

re: DHA supplements: I have one made from algae that I take sometimes, but what I normally take is flaxseed oil. Trader Joe's sells flaxoil capsules and they're pretty cheap.

[Dreshny]

Leslie: I can't answer you yet, because I've only gotten AF once, and I'm not due again until next week. I'd love to know the answer, too, though.

[jenjen0713]

Leslie - I got my first AF 10 weeks after DS was born even though I was exclusively BFing. My next AF came 3 1/2 weeks later and I'm expecting AF again in the next week or so. (FWIW, I'm still exclusively BFing.)

[SiValleySteph]

She said we make DHA so why do we need to take DHA pills? Now I am wondering. :confused:

This is my feeling. I don't take any pills.

My mom didn't either, and I'm pretty smart. :p Oh wait, I must not be that smart if I am using ancedotal stories as my evidence.

[madmartian]

Thanks Leslie. I made an appointment to see my ob.

[Teresita]

Leslie My first AF arrived around 8 months PP, and I have gotten it ever since. However, my first few cycles were abnormally long--like over 40 days. Now that DD is nursing much less (she's 18 mo.), I am back to being like clockwork with a 27- or 28-day cycle.


Hmmm, I never thought about taking a DHA supplement. I try to eat well and do try to eat plenty of Omega-3's, so hopefully my body will make plenty on its own.

[Marisa]

Leslie -- my cycles didn't return until about 14 mos pp, and it took a few cycles for it to get really regular. The very first ones were 30 days apart, and I was like "WHOA!" because I'd never been that regular without the help of the pill! :) But subsequent ones were more like 40 days, I think it was after 4 or 5 cycles that it's now roughly 29-30 days again.

madmartian -- taking acidophilus (also called probiotics) can help with the symptoms of a yeast infection, while you're waiting to see the dr. You can find it at any drugstore, Walmart, wherever. Since you're experiencing symptoms, you can take up to 2 capsules, three times a day (at meals). Then you can taper off as your treatment begins to work, down to once a day (with your multivitamin or whatever). :)

Cori - I tend to agree that the Expecta one is pretty much the way that Enfamil gets your money if you're BFing. :) I was taking the algae-based one that catmom mentioned, but for some weird reason I had - TMI - the most awful fishy burps. :p That's why I switched to the flaxseed supplements. I really didn't eat much fish at all (still don't -- hate it!) so I figured it couldn't hurt. (Plus my mom is like a flaxseed FANATIC, she even gives it to the dog in his food to help his skin and coat! :D)

[Dreshny]

Marisa: Weird, my mom is also a flaxseed fanatic!

[SiValleySteph]

I just got back from my son's 15 month appointment (even though he's 16 months, oops). My ped is so supportive. He was really excited the DS is breastfeeding and thinks it's totally cool that he wakes up and breastfeeds in the middle of the night. I told him that DS calls nursing "nay-nays", and he thought that was so cute. Then when I was asking him about my son waking up crying recently (teething, I think) he asked "so does he just fall back asleep then after he gets some nay-nays?" :D Cracking me up.

[LeslieR]

Thanks for the replies, ladies! It never occurred to me that I could have 40 day cycles. Hmmm... That's not too bad-I'd much rather that than every 28 days.:p I'm on day 35 now, so I guess we'll just see what happens.

[LexyLou]

Thanks MCL! I think there is a GNC pretty close to my house. I might just start off with 2 times a day and see if it helps. I can't believe tea really does produce that much more milk!

[Dreshny]

SiValleySteph: Now why can't I have a ped like yours? :rolleyes:

[solongtogo]

Is a shooting pain in a nipple the symptom of anything serious? I've had this unconfortable pain in one nipple for the past 2 weeks. It comes and goes. I want to get it checked out, but I don't know what doctor to go to (maybe the OB/GYN?) or what the doctor can possibly do for me (there are no visible symptoms i.e. lumps, wierd discharges). DD is 9 months and nurses 5 times a day. I can't think of any changes that correlate with the start of the pain. TIA.

A sign of thrush is shooting pain. FWIW though, I had shooting pains, and it never amounted to anything...

[moderngal]

Lexy-- if you can't find the tea, PM or email me. It's everywhere here- and I always have an extra box on hand. I'll send you some if you'd like.

DHA-- I don't take it. It's already in BM and that's good enough for me.


DS bit me the other day and gave me a pretty big open area on my nipple. When I pump, a lot of blood comes out, too. I mean a lot- the milk was really pink. This is still safe for DS to drink, right?

[NYN]

(Plus my mom is like a flaxseed FANATIC, she even gives it to the dog in his food to help his skin and coat! )
omg, i am a flaxseed fanatic myself. i have a spoonful or two in my oatmeal every morning and always throw a little in my yogurt. also, i use it a lot for baking (in place of butter) and always put some in my meatballs, turkey burgers, etc.

SiValleySteph: Now why can't I have a ped like yours?
a'int that the truth!

[1_mommy]

today has been such a lonf day! ds (3mo) hasdecided it would be fun to nurse all day, and it is not full on nursing, he does suck, suck, suck, then pops off, and does this over, and over, and over, and over etc.

[Marisa]

1_mommy - sounds like the 3-month growth spurt has hit your house! Hope it's over soon! :)

[madmartian]

A sign of thrush is shooting pain. FWIW though, I had shooting pains, and it never amounted to anything...

Solongtogo, Can you give me some more info on your experience? Did the pain go away on it's own? How long did it last? Did it happen sporadically? In the same breast?

I was hoping it would go away on it's own too, but I'm at the point where I'm ready to get it checked out. Neither DD nor I have any other signs of thrush, so I'm curious what the doctor will say.

In the meantime, I've started taking a probiotic as Marisa suggested. Even if it isn't thrush, the probiotic can't hurt, right?

[terrys wifey]

Where can I get fenugreek from and what has been the result of the ladies who have used it? Is there a particular brand that's best? TIA

[LexyLou]

OK. I drank my first cup of Mother's Milk today. Does anyone else feel a little yuck after drinking it? I feel a little sick to my stomach and dizzy. I'm also super sensitive to herbs and meds.

Also, I've noticed DD spits up a ton after eating from the tap but when I give her EBM in a bottle she doesn't spit up as much and also seems more satisfied. Lately she's been bobbing and yanking at my nipple and getting frustrated but when I pull her off and check I still have milk. When I give her a bottle of EBM she takes it calmly and is happy when it's over.

I'm really nervous this is the beginning of the end of our nursing relationship. I'm ok with giving her a bottle of EBM for a couple feeds a day but it's a lot of work to pump and then feed her a bottle all the time and lately I haven't been able to get much out when I pump.

Any thoughts on what I can do?

[lorialys]

Lexy We're experiencing something similar with Lucas right now too, though I'm not sure it's cause is the same. Instead of bobbing and yanking between letdowns, he's started popping off, turning his head, turning back and going back on (repeat about 10 times) between letdowns. It's highly annoying, and I'm thinking it might have to do with the fact that he's so alert and gets easily distracted these days. He does better about it when he's sleepy or in the dark, which is what makes me think that. I guess I don't have any help for you, LOL. But I do give you my sympathies. I hope the Mother's Milk Tea does the trick for you guys.

[1_mommy]

lorialys kai is doing the same right now! (i just posted above)
and yes, it is very annyoing!

[lorialys]

1_mommy I'm glad I'm not the only one. I'm afraid I may be resorting to nursing him in a dark closet soon. :rolleyes:

[mcl]

lorialys, lexylou, and 1-mommy---count me in to the club of mommies with babies bobbing and yanking at the nipple. i have to be very vigilant on watching ds and anticipate him doing this because it was beginning to make me sore. these cute babies of ours. what are we going to do with them?:rolleyes:

[solongtogo]

Solongtogo, Can you give me some more info on your experience? Did the pain go away on it's own? How long did it last? Did it happen sporadically? In the same breast?




THe shooting pains lasted for about a week...I started taking acidophilis the same day they started, and made an appt to see the doc 3 days after they started. First the pains started in one breast...it would be usually right after DD would eat. Then I started getting them in the other one, and they started happening sporadically. All in all the pain lasted for about a week. The doc told me I didn't have thrush, but gave me a prescrib for nystatin anyways just in case, and I put that on for about 3 days. I never saw any signs of thrush, and one of the biggest is you'll see it on your childs tounge...I actually scraped DD's tounge with my fingernail, because I coudln't tell whether or not it was thrush or just milk tounge...

[1_mommy]

mcl it must be the age. most complaints coming from oct mamas
and yes, i have got some pretty sore nipples today

[KRL626]

Help! I am in need of advice. I am going back and forth about whether or not to give up breastfeeding and go to strictly pumping and formula. So any help would be appreciated.

My DS is almost 3 weeks old. He had latch difficulties from the begining (not opening his mouth wide enough and shoving my nipple out of his mouth with his tongue.) I worked with 2 lactation consultants and to no avail. I started pumping but at this point I am only getting about 1.5 ounces total per session (started out only getting half and ounce and began pumping 1 day after my milk came in every 2-3 hours) and that is with taking fenugreek, mother's milk tea, oatmeal, drinking water etc. Then I started using a nipple shield and my DS will nurse if I'm using it. The problem is he nurses for a little while on each side and then gets hysterical and refuses to continue. So I end up giving him a bottle and then pumping. I don't know if he's just not getting enough from me. He drinks a full bottle (usually 3 ounces) after nursing and I obviously am not pumping that much. So I am coming to crossroads and not sure what to do, give up the breast? Give up pumping too? (because it is so tedious and I am simply not keeping up with him) Will I ever make more milk? Is there hope for BF? Please give me your advice.

[NYN]

kate: first off, congratulations on the birth of your DS. the first few weeks are such a special time - enjoy every minute of it. ;)

i don't know that this is what you want to her but what you are describing sounds like very typical newborn behavior. right now you need to let DS nurse as often as possible in order to bring your supply up. a lot of women don't react well to the pump so you shouldn't measure your supply by what you are (or aren't) pumping.

when you say you saw two LC's, did you see them since leaving the hospital or now that you have been home? i see that you are in brooklyn; my LC is in kensington (she will go to your home as well if you prefer it). i suggest seeing her. i was having major issues the first 10 days of my DD's life. she wouldn't latch on and i was a big mess. i saw the LC and DD was breast feeding w/in ten minutes of the session. the LC can also help you with supply issues if you are, in fact, having them.

it is the best money you will ever spend in your life, i promise you that. please PM me if you want her info.

[Marisa]

Hi Kate! Congratulations on your baby boy! :)

Right off the bat, I think that a 3-oz bottle is probably too much for a three-week old. Yes, he's finishing the bottle, but that's the nature of bottles. The nipple is designed to squirt out more milk every time he swallows, so he's forced to swallow again, which forces out more milk, and so on. It's very easy for a baby to 'guzzle' down a large bottle. However, his stomach is actually only the size of his fist, so keep that in mind as you're preparing bottles for him.

If the nipple shield works for you guys, then go for it!! I used a shield for about 6-8 weeks with my son, to correct his latch problems and to allow my damaged nipples to heal. Once I began weaning him off of it, he was opening wider and my nipples were drawn out more, so he was able to latch much better. It can be a great tool, and if it prolongs your BFing relationship, then that's fantastic! :)

Please don't judge your supply by how much you can pump. 1.5 oz is actually not bad, but that doesn't mean that that's all the milk you have. Your baby should actually be much better at getting milk out than a pump.

One of the best things you can do for your supply is to keep your baby at the breast as often as you can coax him there. If that's every two hours, then great! :) What I think is happening to you guys right now is that you're going through the three-week growth spurt -- he may seem hungrier than usual, he may want to eat more, and more often -- but that's a temporary phase of only maybe a couple of days, in order to get your supply up. Try to take advantage of every possible opportunity where he's willing to hang out on the breast -- toss the phrase "using me as a pacifier" right out of your brain, babies don't know what pacifiers are. Their instinct is to nurse at the breast as often as possible to keep mom's supply up. Take advantage of that instinct right now, put your feet up, get some magazines and snacks, and just have a 'nurse-in' for a couple of days.

I also wanted to ask how much fenugreek you're taking. The recommended dose is quite high, about 3500mg per day -- that works out to about 6 capsules (2 caps, 3 times a day). You may notice that you start to smell a little different when you are taking the right amount. You can taper off as your supply regulates.

Count wet and dirty diapers, that's the best way to see if your son is getting enough when he's nursing. He should be having at least 5-6 per day.

I hope some of that helps. Please hang in there, and seek out more support in person if you haven't been able to find the answers yet. Do you have LLL near you? It's a free monthly meeting with trained volunteers -- you can find your local chapter here: http://www.llli.org/WebUS.html

You're doing a great job! :)


ETA two more thoughts -- was your son early at all? Did anyone check his tongue to see if he has a short frenulum?

[Jackie&Tom]

I'm hoping someone might be able to shed some light on my son's behavior at the breast.

We've been feeding for 4 weeks and it's just started to get tollerable. The first few weeks were horrible (pain during the latch and throughout the feeding). Within the last week, things have gotten much better!

We had the LC visit a few times in the hospital and I know that we're latching on correctly, etc.

So - the last few days, ds gets very 'playful' when I bring him to my breast. He turns his head into my arm, arches his back and likes to hit my breast with his free hand! The second he latches on, he's as calm as can be! His entire body relaxes and he feeds great.

I've tried feeding him before I see hunger signs, at the signs or sometimes once he starts crying and it doesn't make at difference for his latch.

Has anyone else experienced this?? It makes the first few minutes of our feeds very frustrating! I'm happy the rest of the feedings are going so much better, but if there was a solution to the latch problem - I'd be happy to hear it :)

Thank you!!

[Marisa]

Jackie -- does he seem upset or his he just jerking around? A lot of that will resolve itself as his nervous system matures, babies are naturally very 'jerky' and can't really control their impulses to move their arms and legs, KWIM?

A lot of times babies will punch at the breast to try to stimulate letdown more quickly, so it sounds like getting him to nurse as quickly as you might think he's hungry -- or even offering *before* you see any signs -- is the right way to go. :)

[maggieb]

Jackie: Have you tried swaddling him while nursing? Marisa would also flail and jerk around while nursing and as soon as I swaddled her for nursing she settled down and got to business. She's almost 7 mos and I still swaddle her sometimes to settle her in before nursing. She falls asleep everytime. Good luck!:D

[elladee]

Does anyone know how long (approximately, I'm sure it's different for everyone) it would take something I ate to get into my milk? DD (11 days old) was a nightmare Friday night and all day yesterday. Could be nothing, but I'm kind of wondering if it was something I ate. Just wanted to make a mental note in case it happens again.

[Marisa]

Lisa -- it would usually show up within 4-24 hours of your eating the food, so you'd have to think back as far as Thursday to see if it's related to something you ate. Typically, symptoms should decrease within 48 hours of your eliminating a troublesome food, but in the case of things like dairy, it can take a week or more to fully work through your system.

[jenjen0713]

Sorry if this has already been discussed, but I have a question about AF and BFing. DS is almost 4 months old. Before he was born, my luteal period was about 13-14 days. I am exclusively BFing and AF came back when DS was 10 weeks old. I am charting and my last two luteal periods have been 9 and 10 days long. My plan is to BF until DS is at least a year old. DH and I are planning on starting to TTC again when DS is about 9 months old. I'm concerned that with such a short LP that I won't be able to substain a pregnancy and was wondering if it isn't somehow related to BFing. Does BFing cause your LP to shorten and when you eventually wean, does it become longer?

[Aletheia]

Hi everyone- I'm not an actual mama yet (9w5d and counting!) but I thought you might appreciate seeing this: an announcement that just came out at my top ten state university--
Faculty, staff, students and their spouses/partners are eligible for a new breastfeeding support program at the main campus. The program is designed to help mothers breastfeed for a longer period of time. Program participants obtain access to four dedicated breastfeeding/breastpumping rooms around campus; access to professional-grade breastpumps; subsidized pumping kits for the pumps; and lending library privileges. The program is sponsored by the state Department of Health, the Center for Childhood Obesity Research and the College of Health and Human Development.

Neato!

[Daniel's Kitty]

Kate You sound about like I felt then, only I never used a nipple shield. I would try to stick it out a little while longer, but I wouldn't use a bottle too much right now since he can get milk out faster and with less work. If you do use a bottle put only an once or so in at a time it is easier to warm up more than it is to stop them from drinking. Some babies want 2 or three ounces at a time when they are three weeks although that is not average, my son was one of them, I still offered small amounts and would just warm up more.
It is up to you what you want to do, my son would be formula fed if I hadn't gone "he is hungry now, I will start a bottle next time" He got so mad while waiting for the bottle to warm up that I just kept putting it off until next time. Next time never happened and I was too lazy and busy then to worry about washing bottles all the time any way. Now I am so happy I stuck with it as I look down at the healthy little guy who thinks nursing is the best way to nap, sometimes the only way.

[Marisa]

jen - I hate to admit it, but I am not very well informed yet about fertility awareness, so I don't have an answer for you directly. However, I know that there have been several good books published on the topic of fertility, pregnancy and breastfeeding, and it might be worthwhile for you to look into them (if your library doesn't have them, see if they can borrow them for you).

One is Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing by Sheila Kippley -- she has chapters on the return of fertility and Natural Family Planning, among other things.

The other is Adventures in Tandem Nursing by Hilary Flowers -- whether or not you decide to wean your first child before #2 comes along, she has good information on nursing while pregnant, and can reassure you that breastfeeding alone should not hurt your chances of becoming PG or sustaining a pregnancy.


Aletheia - what great support you'll be receiving! That makes a lot of sense to me! :)

[jenjen0713]

marisa - Thanks for the info on the books!

[elladee]

Marisa, thanks! We had tacos for dinner on Thursday...maybe she didn't like the spices. Well, we'll see if it happens again.

[Sebski]

DS has been participating in an all day num-num marathon (we call bf num-nums in our household ;) )... he has literally been attached to my chest all day long. Can someone refresh my memory? Is there a 3 month growth spurt? He'll be 12w on Thursday. I don't mind the all day nursing but I'm hoping it's only a spurt...

Also - this might sound like a bizarre question, but does bf help my immune system? I'm usually prone to tons of head colds during the colder months and I haven't had not a one this winter season. DS was born in Nov and we've been bf since and I'm wondering if that has anything to do with it. Just curious.

[1_mommy]

Is there a 3 month growth spurt? He'll be 12w on Thursday. I don't mind the all day nursing but I'm hoping it's only a spurt...

Yes there is, my ds will be four months feb 10, and is just now going through his! for 3 days now! yikes

[kinaida]

cutting out dairy -- okay, so I'm attempting to cut dairy out of my diet. How restrictive do I need to be? Do I have to completely cut it out or can I have a pat of butter on toast? Does chocolate count as dairy? I don't think it would... what about goat's cheese?

Thanks!

[nancy drew]

kindra you should cut absolutely everything for about a month, just to see if there is a difference. then you can "test" certain things, like have a pat of butter one day and wait 48 hours to see what happens. chocolate is a no-no, even for some babies who arent sensitive to dairy so def. cut that. if you want some suggestions on dairy replacements feel free to ask me, ive btdt and am back on the dairy, soy, egg, seafood, and nut elimination diet. it sucks at first but once you get past the first few weeks its not so bad.

[Marisa]

kinaida -- I agree with Nancy. Although I didn't have to go as far as reading labels for casein (a dairy derivative) -- I did cut out absolutely everything that was obvious, including that occasional pat of butter. I used rice milk or almond milk where I'd normally have cow's milk or soy. I found rice milk ice cream at the health food store. I lost about 15 pounds. :)

Chocolate does contain dairy, and while goat's milk proteins are somewhat different than cow's milk, they're similar enough that I'd advise avoiding it for the 2 weeks or so that you're doing the hardcore dairy elimination. After 2 weeks, all the dairy should have worked its way entirely out of your system, and you should hopefully see the difference in your baby.

When I wanted to "test" Joey, to see if I could add things back, that's when I'd have that pat of butter -- to see if he'd react. For a couple of months he'd regularly get rashy on his face and chest a few hours following even the smallest amount -- but sometime around 8 mos. I was able to have tiny amounts, and I added things back gradually until I was eating a normal diet again by 1 year.

[kinaida]

Thanks nancy & marisa! I'm not totally sure that DS has a dairy sensitivity. But he's been waking up at 2 am with gas every night (he's not hungry -- I've been feeding him around 11 pm - 12 am) and I'm wondering if dairy is the culprit. I haven't noticed any other indications (i.e., diaper rash, chunky spit up). I'm getting desparate (DS is sleeping in about 1 1/2 hour intervals).

I was just thinking though that I've been eating hard-boiled eggs lately. Are eggs a potential "problem" food for bf babies?

[dbers]

Vermont Nut Free Chocolate makes some dairy free if you're having cravings :)

http://www.vermontnutfree.com/

[nancy drew]

kindra eggs could be a culprit as well. id cut those too, just to see if it makes a difference.

[kinaida]

I really have no idea what in the world you eat nancy! You poor poor thing....

DH hard-boiled some eggs last week and I've been eating them as a mid-afternoon snack (sometimes I just have to cram something into my mouth with a screaming baby in the other arm). I'm wondering if that's causing the wakings at a consistent time every evening... that would make sense, particularly as the super super crappy sleep is a recent development (it was crappy before, but not like this).

[madmartian]

Update: My doctor's visit (regarding shooting nipple pain) didn't really amount to anything. She checked both breasts and she couldn't see or feel anything wrong with either one. She also said it could possibly be a yeast infection but since neither I nor DD show any other symptoms, and because she's already so big (9 months), it's very unlikely. She said I could try using Nystatin cream twice a day and see if that helps. If not, she'll write a prescription for something stronger and/or do a mammogram.

I've been paying more attention to when I get the pain, and I'm pretty sure it only appears after several pumping sessions in a row. I may drop by the Moms with Pumps thread to see if they've experienced anything similar.

[NYN]

madmartian: i used to get shooting pains in my breasts when i was PG and i occasionally get them now as well. i was told it was milk duct spasms. not sure if that is something you want to look into but i thought i'd throw it out there.

[angelgirl8]

i have a couple of new questions...surprise surprise.

1. sometimes i feel a sharp, tingling pain in my nipples during feedings and also between feedings. i thought it might be a letdown, but is this true for the between feedings pain?

2. i must be in a bad nursing position because i'm starting to get pain in my wrists and my fingers are starting to get numb. right now the babies are still very little so i need to hold my breast (and compress it a lot) and support their heads. is this wrist pain normal or am i doing something wrong? at what point will i not have to support my breast anymore?

thanks!

(oh, background, just in case: i'm nursing twins that were born a tiny bit premature so they had some nursing issues in the beginning. one of the babies was in the NICU for a week so he's a bit more behind than my daughter).

[Dreshny]

I don't know about the wrist pain, though it sounds like a repetitive stress injury since you're nursing so often now. But I do know the tingling pain between feedings because I had it too. Don't know exactly what it was (breasts filling between feedings?) but it went away after I'd been nursing for 5 or 6 weeks.

[jenjen0713]

I too don't know anything about the wrist pain, but the tingling pain I also got in the few month or so. I haven't had it since then. I figured it was as Dreshny said, the milk filling up or a letdown.

[MichieG]

First time posted, long time lurker here. I have a question regarding variations in the color of my breastmilk...

I decided to pump 1st thing this AM because my 4 month old daughter tends to have issues spitting up at her first feeding of the day. I figured it had to do with too much milk, too fast or something like that. So I pumped 6 oz and then nursed her 1/2 hour later. She seemed satistifed and barely spit up at all. Success! I thought. Fast forward to now when I pumped a second time today while she's in daycare. I only got 3.5 oz (no biggie) but I noticed when storing it, that is it solid white, almost even a shade to the yellow. The milk from 1st thing this AM is more clear to a little white. It is a BIG difference.

Could this be the difference between "regular" milk (don't know what to call it) and hind milk? Is this normal? I have never noticed such a color differnece in 3 months of pumping but I haven't pumped 1st thing in the AM before? Any thoughts?

THANKS!

[Daniel's Kitty]

letdown can definitly be a tingle. It happens to me all the time.

[NYN]

michie: someone else could give you a bigger insight as to the why of it but your milk changes color throughout the day. morning milk tends to be "richer" and the really white milk that looks thicker is probably the fattier hindmilk, yes, but this doesn't mean that the thinner (usually bluer) milk you pumped is any less efficient.

eta: forgot to add that today is 6 months that me and DD have been exclusively breast feeding (she was born on the 22nd but didn't latch on until the 10th day and my first visit to an LC at the urgance of many of the people in this thread). i just went back and re-read my posts from those first days...it seems like a lifetime ago! anyway, i just wanted to thank all of you for all the knowledge and support, especially Teresita, Dreshny, Marisa, Lady1297, mollyeilis and Dally. all of you responded very quickly to my crazy posts (go to page 26 for the entertainment, lol) and made me get my a$$ to an LC stat. i couldn't have done it w/out you! :D

[pgbg]

I'm posting this here and the Mom with Pumps thread...

Today DH fed DS about 6 oz of frozen milk that I thawed in the refridgerator overnight. It was from Nov 1 (exactly 3 months) stored in a side-by-side freezer. When I got home DS was very smily and happy, and then nursed and went to sleep. I smelled some of the other milk from that same batch and thought it smelled funny, like a bit sour. Would he have drank it if it was bad or would he not have noticed? Am I in for a night of gas and stomach pains? Is it possible that frozen milk smells different? I don't usually use my freezer stash but I figured I should use it withing 3 months.
Any advice would be appreciated!!!

[NYN]

I'm posting this here and the Mom with Pumps thread...

Today DH fed DS about 6 oz of frozen milk that I thawed in the refridgerator overnight. It was from Nov 1 (exactly 3 months) stored in a side-by-side freezer. When I got home DS was very smily and happy, and then nursed and went to sleep. I smelled some of the other milk from that same batch and thought it smelled funny, like a bit sour. Would he have drank it if it was bad or would he not have noticed? Am I in for a night of gas and stomach pains? Is it possible that frozen milk smells different? I don't usually use my freezer stash but I figured I should use it withing 3 months.
Any advice would be appreciated!!!

i am having this same issue except DD doesn't like the taste of it. from kellymom:

A few mothers find that their refrigerated or frozen milk begins to smell or taste soapy, sour, or even rancid soon after it's stored, even though all storage guidelines have been followed closely. Per Lawrence & Lawrence (p. 781), the speculation is that these mothers have an excess of the enzyme lipase in their milk, which begins to break down the milk fat soon after the milk is expressed. Most babies do not mind a mild change in taste, and the milk is not harmful, but the stronger the taste the more likely that baby will reject it.

Lipase is an enzyme that is normally present in human milk and has several known beneficial functions:

Lipases help keep milk fat well-mixed (emulsified) with the "whey" portion of the milk, and also keep the fat globules small so that they are easily digestible (Lawrence & Lawrence, p. 156).
Lipases also help to break down fats in the milk, so that fat soluble nutrients (vitamins A & D, for example) and free fatty acids (which help to protect baby from illness) are easily available to baby (Lawrence & Lawrence, p. 156).
The primary lipase in human milk, bile salt-stimulated lipase (BSSL), "has been found to be the major factor inactivating protozoans" (Lawrence & Lawrence, p. 203).
Per Lawrence & Lawrence (p. 158), the amount of BSSL in a particular mother's milk does not vary during a feed, and is not different at different times of day or different stages of lactation. There is evidence that there may be a decrease in lipase activity over time in mothers who are malnourished.

What can I do if my storage problem is due to excess lipase? Once the milk becomes sour or rancid smelling/tasting, there is no known way to salvage it. However, newly expressed milk can be stored by heating the milk to a scald to inactivate the lipase and stop the process of fat digestion. Scald the milk as soon after expression as possible.

To scald milk:

Heat milk to about 180 F (82 C), or until you see little bubbles around the edge of the pan (not to a full, rolling boil).
Quickly cool and store the milk.
Scalding the milk will destroy some of the antiinfective properties of the milk and may lower some nutrient levels, but this is not likely to be an issue unless all of the milk that baby is receiving has been heat-treated.

Per Lawrence & Lawrence, bile salt-stimulated lipase can also be destroyed by heating the milk at 144.5 F (62.5 C) for one minute (p. 205), or at 163 F (72 C) for up to 15 seconds (p. 771).

link is here: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/lipase-expressedmilk.html

[spps]

I have the same issue. Actually I found that even if I was storing fresh milk for more than about 12 hours it started to smell funny and DS would not drink it. So now I scald it all and have had no problems.

[NYN]

spps: how exactly do you "quickly cool" the milk though? do you just put it in freezer bags while still hot and put it in the freezer?

i am so sad that i have about 50oz of frozen EBM that DD won't take and she is not on solids yet so i can't even mix it to mask it. :(

[newyorkgirl]

angelgirl8 - Letdown can definitely cause a tingly sensation. Also, in the early weeks, while your body is still trying to figure it out and time your milk production to your baby's eating habits, it might let down milk at times in between nursing. HOWEVER, if you feel a sharp, shooting pain within your breasts in between nursings, maybe accompanied by itchiness and red or dark pink nipples and areolas, you may have thrush and need to treat it right away. I didn't realize I had it and have been battling thrush on and off for about four months now. So if you detect it early, you might be in a better position than me. :)

Teba - that was us in Nov/Dec. I had about 80 oz that I'd pumped in Aug/Sept before our thrush problems really kicked in. Since DS wouldn't take FBM, it was so painful to pour all that down the drain. I would hold onto your freezer stash for as long as possible - who knows, maybe your DD will be willing to take solids next week. After I started pumping again, I froze in 1- and 2-oz increments for solids.

[shushyk]

Hi ladies, mom with no sleep here desperate!!! Donnie is 3&1/2 months had a cold for 2 weeks now. Used to sleep through the night just FINE, since he has been sick he has been up every two hours and not eating for 5-6 hours straight during the day. Any advice, I am home with him all day and up all night it is starting to get to me.

[solongtogo]

I've got a milk blister, and I'm doing everything kellymom says to do to treat it, but it's not going away. It hurts terribly bad when DD latches on, but the pain goes away after a few minutes. Will this thing go away on it's own?? It's been about a week since it popped up.

[EJM]

Shush: A lot of the October mommies are going through the same thing right now with our former good sleepers now waking lots. I know I'm EXHAUSTED! Is Donnie having trouble eating because of being sick? If so, I have spent many hours in a steamy bathroom feeding DD and you might try that.

[newyorkgirl]

solongtogo - I have had many, many milk blisters! Most importantly - is the milk flowing out of the duct? If not, that is the most important thing so that the milk doesn't plug up and cause mastitis. Try to use warm compresses as often as you can (sometimes I had to do this round the clock), do warm or saline soaks just before nursing, and try to "pop" it by rubbing a damp washcloth over it. Once popped, have your DC nurse to empty your breast. Then apply Polysporin and/or Lotrimin AF to help prevent infection. Also, you can take Motrin for the pain. Plus, it helps reduce the inflammation and prevent the blister from forming over the duct opening again. Once the blister is there, it takes a while to go away, and until it does, it's still susceptible to closing up again. You can try to prevent this by using a washcloth while you're in the shower to gently slough off any dead skin from your nips. HTH!

[spps]

Newyorknovia - Usaully I just put it into bottles in the fridge immediatley b/c it is going to be used the next day. I have also put it directly into freezer bags and the freeer and that has been fine too.

[SiValleySteph]

Today DH fed DS about 6 oz of frozen milk that I thawed in the refridgerator overnight. It was from Nov 1 (exactly 3 months) stored in a side-by-side freezer. When I got home DS was very smily and happy, and then nursed and went to sleep. I smelled some of the other milk from that same batch and thought it smelled funny, like a bit sour. Would he have drank it if it was bad or would he not have noticed? Am I in for a night of gas and stomach pains? Is it possible that frozen milk smells different? I don't usually use my freezer stash but I figured I should use it withing 3 months.
Any advice would be appreciated!!!

My frozen EBM alway smelled a bit off to me. I thought for sure I had that Lipase excess that NYN described. I even did a test where I scalded half of a batch of milk first and then did a taste test later. I made DH taste as well because I didn't trust myself. :D He said they tasted the same. DS never refused the thawed EBM even though I could tell there was an obvious difference between it and fresh EBM - it was defintely more soapy tasting to me. Anyways, DS had a bottle of thawed EBM (along with fresh) every week day from 4 months until 14 months and never had any problems. I think it's probably fine. If he takes it, I wouldn't worry about it.

shushyk, Did you ever master the side-lying nursing position? That could help you get more rest if he is up every 2 hours. Otherwise, I just send you hugs. :(

***

My son is 16 months old. I think he is teething something fierce. He is up at night crying and getting pissed and he says he wants to nurse, but then he starts coughing and ends up biting me instead of getting latched on. :confused: Or he says he wants to nurse and I try and latch him on and he just lets the nipple fall out of his mouth (scraping with his teeth). It's driving me crazy! Ack! I had to bust out the Lansinoh yesterday which I haven't used in like 8 months or so. I feel bad for refusing to nurse when he is so upset, but it seems clear that he really doesn't want to nurse. He is just trying anything to comfort himself. Poor thing. He is really not a good teether - it really bothers him a lot. He was just at the ped on Fri, so I'm pretty sure nothing else is wrong with him and I think I see the point of a new tooth. I just wanted to vent because I feel so bad getting annoyed with him when he is so sad and uncomfortable. :( Luckily, I am not too bad on minimal sleep, although I do not wish to be up from 4-6AM every day.

[LexyLou]

Do you have to consistently drink the Mother's Milk 3+ times a day to see an increase or can you just drink it ever now and then when you feel you need a boost?

[shushyk]

EJM - thanks, I did the shower feedings for the early mornings when he woke up congested.

Hey steph, I try the side feedings, but donnie doesn't like to lay in bed with us. I can't SEE at night with out the light on so it wakes steve up. with him being sick its been harder.

Well last night was the topper he was up every 2-3 hours from 9pm ON. :eek: its now 11 and I am trying to force him to eat every 2-3 hours during the day to make him get all his feedings in during the day instead of at night. I also thought maybe if I pump for his night time feeding, and let steve give him a bottle at 10 or so and then put him down, maybe I can go to sleep at 8 or 9 until we get our schedule back.

ANy other advice is welcomed! thanks:)

[mcl]

lexylou--i drank mother's milk tea until i felt i was getting a boost in my supply. after that, i took it when i felt i needed another "boost". how is it working for you?

shushyk--did you say that donnie is now 3 1/2 months. he may be going through the 3 month growth spurt. i hope things get better soon.

[angelgirl8]

newyorkgirl

HOWEVER, if you feel a sharp, shooting pain within your breasts in between nursings, maybe accompanied by itchiness and red or dark pink nipples and areolas, you may have thrush and need to treat it right away.

i sometimes feel a sharp pain, but not that often. i think my nipples are pink but i have no idea if this is what they're supposed to look like when they're always either in one of the babies mouths or in the pump! i do have some itchiness while i'm nursing around the edge of the areolas, but again i'm not sure if that's just from nursing and the babies' hands scratching me.

i wish i knew, though!

[MrsTazlvr]

I guess we are doing something right. Daniella went for her 5 week check up today and she gained a pound in 3 weeks. I'm so glad to know that mommy's milk is doing her body good. ;)

[ihearttx]

Random question:

When DD starts eating solids..things like peas, applesauce etc, things that I have avoided due to her excessive gassiness in the early days..does this mean I will be able to eat them too?

In other words, if she is eating the "real" version of these foods, will I be able to eat them too without it affecting her gassiness?

[Marisa]

As long as she's not bothered by them directly, there'd be no reason for you to keep avoiding them as well. ;)

By the time they're starting solids at 6 months, typically the digestive system has matured, and a lot of babies with early sensitivities start to outgrow them. This was the case for me and my DS; he was very sensitive to milk and soy in the beginning and I cut them out entirely. But by the time he was 8 months old his body started to be able to handle me sneaking a bit in here and there... and by a year I was back on an unrestricted diet.

[moderngal]

about Mother's Milk Tea-- I needed to drink it 3x a day for a few days to notice an increase in supply and keep at it at least 1x a day to feel like it's working.
I've been using More Milk Plus for 2 weeks now and I have to say, although it tastes like shit, it works. :)

I've had a run of patients lately that nursed their babies, one is still active with LLL even. It's unusual for me since I work with older adults and many women in their 60s- 70s did not nurse. Anyway, it's been nice swapping nursing stories during their treatment times and I've even gotten some pretty good advice from them. It also makes me having to cut out early sometimes to go pump easier, too. :)

[angelgirl8]

look, another question!

in the last few days, both of my twins have been spitting up more. it's usually pretty soon after a feeding and it's usually just a small amount, but lately it's been more. it's almost always when they're lying down, so i just see a big spot on the sheets.

could this been from an allergy to something i'm eating?

[LILRTL]

We made it 6 months!!!!! WOOOHOOOO!!!

[newyorkgirl]

Congratulations Lora! :D

[Marisa]

Congrats Lora! That's a great milestone! (Almost wrote milkstone -- I guess it's appropriate! :D)

Elana -- Did the babies go through a growth spurt recently? (Nursing constantly -- even more than normal?) It's possible that your supply has gone up a bit and they're just taking in a little more milk than they used to at one feeding. (It's also possible that they're stronger suckers now than they were a month ago -- getting out more milk in the same amount of time.) Spitting up immediately after a feeding, and not being a cause of distress to them (you find out because of the wet spot, not because of crying, etc.) -- that tells me that it's most likely just a 'too much milk at once' kind of thing. Their stomach muscles aren't fully developed at this early stage, and sometimes if their stomachs are too full, or they have an air bubble, milk can be pushed back out again. It's mostly a laundry issue, and most babies outgrow it by the second half of the first year.

On the other hand, if you're noticing some other signs -- increased fussiness, chunky or foul-smelling spit-up, rashiness, spitting up some longer period after a feeding -- those are all possible signs of a sensitivity. One of the most typical culprits in mom's diet is dairy (and to a lesser extent soy). If you were to cut out anything, I'd start with one or both of those. But what you're describing to me sounds like the more normal spitup, something that will resolve with time and maybe keeping them on an incline for a short while after feeding. (Something that maybe a sling could help with? ;))

[angelgirl8]

marisa...thanks! growth spurt sounds good to me...they have been nursing non-stop for a couple of days. and i know their digestive systems are still immature. there have been a couple of times when they spit up way after a feeding and it is chunky but it doesn't happen that much.

i think i'll try eliminating dairy just in case. how long should i try that for to see if it's the culprit?

a sling, you say? what a clever idea!

[MrsTazlvr]

DD is now 5 1/2 weeks old. How do you know when they are done nursing? I can never really tell when she is just comfort nursing and when she is full. It seems like she was done after only 10 minutes on one breast the last few nursing sessions. I know that they get better at nursing and "power nurse" when they get older, but isn't it too soon for her to only want to nurse for such a short time?

She slept for 6 hours straight last night and when she got up she only nursed for about 15 minutes on one breast. I put her down for a minute because I had to go to the bathroom. When I came back she was fast asleep and seemed content. We are going out in a little while so I am letting her sleep so I can nurse her right before we leave. Could she really be getting that good at nursing already? Would she be crying if she wasn't getting enough and still hungry? As I said before I FF DD #1 so this is all so confusing to me. She gained a pound in the last 3 weeks so I guess things are going well, but like I said, now she seems to be nursing for a shorter time.

ETA~ I didn't feel really engorged after we went 6 hours between nursings last night. Is that normal?

[Marisa]

Cori -- the best way to tell if she's still nursing and getting milk is to watch and listen for swallowing. During your letdown, you should see/feel her swallow frequently and maybe even hear a little "tssh" sound every time. A 'comfort' suck would be much lighter.

She's getting close to another typical growth spurt age, so she may be conserving energy a bit. But it's perfectly normal for her to start becoming more efficient -- usually they do after each growth spurt, and she's probably already had one at 3 weeks, right?

It also sounds like your supply is starting to settle down as well. It can take a couple of weeks, or a couple of months... but basically, as long as you're still feeding on demand, and she's not getting her nutrition from anywhere but you (no formula), your supply won't suffer if she decides to sleep longer stretches. Your body will adapt if she goes back to waking more frequently (like during that growth spurt that I was talking about! :)).

[Mickey&B]

My SIL just called me (she's in Idaho), she just had her milk come in and she was totally engorged and, the baby would not latch on because she said that she was so engoged her nipples, and areola were "hard". I told her to keep trying,and maybe self express in the shower, but she said she tried and couldn't, I also told her to call the LC at her hospital, aside from that do you girls have any advice??

[Marisa]

M&B - I had the same problem. Using a cold cabbage leaf in my bra, one in each side, was the trick to soften the breast and allow my DS to latch on. She shouldn't do this more than once, or maybe twice, if she's really engorged -- she doesn't want to really dry up. I'd say once a day, and then maybe once again on the following day if it's still bad. (I also took fenugreek for the week following, but I think I was just being overly cautious.)

Pumping just a little before feeding can work too, but it can also trick her body into producing more milk, or keeping her supply too high.

[jmvan74]

I've been nursing for 8 months now and all of a sudden DS has decided he likes the right better than the left. I'm worried about my supply b/c he only nurses 4-5 times a day now and he fusses so badly at the left side I usually switch him to the right to make sure he is getting enough. Any suggestions for getting DS to nurse on the opposite side?



M&B: I had that problem when DS was small and I use to put a warm washcloth on my breast until I started to leak and then DS would taste the milk and latch on.

[MrsTazlvr]

Thanks, Marisa. :) I just feel so clueless this time around. I know she is gaining weight, but it is so hard to just relax and not worry about things. BF feels so foreign to me still. I feel so awkward when I nurse her sometimes. It will get better, right? :(

Did any of you feel this way in the beginning? So awkward. I want to LOVE BF like so many people do, but right now I am not there yet. I think Daniella still latching and then unlatching so often is getting to me as well. I want it to feel comfortable (emotionally, too) and easy already.

[terrys wifey]

I am pumping and notice that I get more milk from the right breast. I mean I may get an once from the left on a good day. I started taking Fenugreek and notice a slight increase but not much.

[Dreshny]

Cori: I didn't start to like BFing until after DS was 6 weeks old. In the beginning, it's so time-consuming, and sometimes it hurts, and it feels like it's all you're ever doing. I felt like a hypocrite because I was a huge advocate for nursing before I ever did it, and once I had DS I felt like I wanted to hide every time he got hungry. :(

When DS was 4 weeks old, I was so miserable I was emailing Marisa off the boards because the WC was down. But I kept at it....

In a few more weeks, Daniella will latch on, pop off to smile at you, and latch back on to eat. You'll melt. :D

Now Asher is 8 months old, and BFing takes 5 minutes and it's the easiest thing in the world and a great way to bond with my active little guy.

It does get better.

[kelseyledare]

I second Roseanne's message. BF does get easier, just hang in there. Your body will adjust and your baby will learn- before you know it, nursing will be a pleasant, relaxing activity.

[Mickey&B]

Thanks for the replies Marissa and jmvan74 I am passing them on right now!

[newyorkgirl]

jmvan74 - I had this problem too where DS was preferring one breast over the other. A couple things that I did were:

1. switch him back and forth. If he's really hungry, he might be too impatient to take the gimpy boob (which is what I called my less-producing boob). Feed him on the good breast first, then, once he's nursed through one or two letdowns, switch him to the other one.

2. switch him once letdown occurs. Let him nurse on the good breast until letdown occurs, then quickly switch him to the gimpy one.
2.a) If you use the cradle position, and he won't have the gimpy one, you can also try just sliding him over to the gimpy one and nurse in the football hold to "confuse" him that he's still on the good breast.

3. nurse more frequently on the bad side, if he'll have it. I would nurse him down to sleep for naps with just the gimpy boob, and then the next feeding, he would get first the gimpy boob and then the good one.

It took a long weekend to even out my supply, but I think it worked...

ETA: Both my LC and others in this thread seem to think that nursing off one breast isn't such a big deal. So you could theoretically let the one breast dry up and feed him off the one he prefers.

[NYN]

my DD would not take my right breast so what i did was put her in bed w/ me and just keep feeding her off of that breast before she would fully wake up (easier at the beginning when all they do is sleep). then once she started waking up in the night again, i would make sure to offer her my right breast only. i'm so glad i did this b/c my left breast never gets engorged at night anymore and now that she has taken to night nursing the past few weeks (since she doesn't eat AT ALL during the day b/c she is Nosy McNose) i never have to wake up for it to switch sides since she is always on righty.

MrsT: sorry if i have told you this already but a page back you expressed concern that your DD was only nursing for 10 minutes. my DD never nursed for more than 5-8 minutes per feeding (recently she has started marathon nursing sessions but that is another story). she was just very efficient at nursing, even as a newborn. i know it is nerve wracking. it was hard for me to accept that she was getting enough when i kept hearing from all my friends how nursing would take them 40 minutes to an hour but at 6 months it is pretty evident that she eats well. :D i know it is hard but you really need to go by growth and wet/dirty diapers at this point to figure out if she is getting enough.

[Daniel's Kitty]

My son could do a feeding in 10 minutes on a bad day. I freaked out that the dr said it should take 20 minutes then switch sides, I tried it for almost a week before I just got fed up and followed DS's ideas of how long.

[EJM]

MrsTazlvr: I consider myself lucky that I also have an efficient nurser. Even in the beginning, anymore than 15-20 minutes and she was asleep or going through a growth spurt. I didn't realize that wasn't normal :o until the other mommies told me about hour long sessions. I finally realized how fortunate I was when I was done feeding DD and back in bed within 20 minutes in the wee hours of the morning. :)

Right about 5-6 weeks I just kept thinking that BFing had to get more enjoyable, and it definitely did. I now have distracto baby during feeding, but having more time between feedings has "freed" me up a bit and I'm really enjoying it more.

[jmvan74]

NewYorkGirl and NewYork Novia: Thanks for the advice. I'll have to try some of those suggestions. I don't think I'd be comfortable letting one side dry up though. :confused: I feel like i'd be lopsided! LOL!

Cori: I honestly did not enjoy BFing until about 12 weeks. I know that seems like a long time. Luckily, DS didn't give me a choice. He has never taken a bottle. Anyhow, now at 8 months it is so easy. He nurses 4-5 times a day for 3-5 minutes!:eek: He's over 19lbs, so I consider myself lucky. hehe.

[magdesilver]

Cori,
I, too, didn't LOVE BFing until around 8 weeks or so. Sometime around then, (I think it was at 9 weeks) we were visiting my cousin for the weekend, and I was sitting on their couch bfing DD and my cousin's DH (who is a dr.) said "I've never seen anyone for whom bfing is so easy!", and that's when I realized, yeah, it IS easy! In the 2 months before that we had our share of issues and LC visits, but right then I realized it had somehow become easy and enjoyable! So hang in there, because hopefully it will be like that for you two! Now I can't even really remember what it was like at the beginning. I remember when she was little and would latch on to my BB but not the nipple all the time and I'd have these little hickeys, so I would have to be very careful and hold everything just so at the right angle to get her to latch correctly. Now it's pretty much hands free- I wouldn't be surprised if DD could undo the nursing hooks in my bra at this point, it's pretty much self serve :) .

[spps]

DS is 8 months old and EBF. Between yesterday and today my supply seems to have decreased significantly. My diet hasn't changed. What can be causing this? Does it means that AF is going to return :( ?

[Marisa]

That seems like the most likely scenario, based on what you've said. Even if you're exclusively breastfeeding, you still might see the return of your cycles anytime after 6 months PP.

Many women will see a dip either a couple of days before or in the first couple of days of their period -- it should return to normal within a couple of days, though.

[spps]

Thanks Marisa!

[MrsTazlvr]

Thanks, Ladies. I feel much better. It just seems like all the moms at my BF support group LOVE BF so I was a little intimidated to ask if they ever felt the way I was feeling. Most of them have older babies so I guess they are already comfortable with BF. It's nice to know I am not alone. :)

[Jackie&Tom]

Ok - I need some more help from you wonderful ladies!!

Alex is 5 weeks old and bf'ing isn't getting much easier. I have a good day here and there, but I have to fight myself not to quit everyday. I pump a couple of bottles a day, so I do get a little break.

The initial latch is very painful, but usually gets bettet within a minute. Then we have a few good minutes. Then I start to get a dull painful pulling on the side of my breast (if he's on my left breast, I feel it along the side up to my underarm??) and sometimes on the bottom of my breast. I never learned anything about pulling in my bf'ing class...any ideas??

[Marisa]

Hi Jackie!

Well, first of all, hang in there. It didn't get easier for me either until we were well past the six-week mark, once we got past that 6wk growth spurt we started conquering the other difficulties we were having and things got much better.

I know exactly what you're talking about with the pulling, and I think it might be a positioning problem? It's not uncommon to have a little discomfort at first when he latches on, that will get better with time. But I wonder if you're in a bad position as he's nursing -- are you bending over him at all? Can you get into a comfortable seated position where you're not rounding your shoulders or stooping, but use pillows to bring him all the way up to the breast? (I used to use the My Brest Friend pillow -- firmer than the boppy -- or a boppy plus a pillow from the couch to sort of bring it up a little higher. I was terrible about nursing all hunched over and it took an LC to scold me out of it. :))

Anyway, it sounds like as the feeding goes on, you/he may be slipping out of position to the point where he's starting to tug at you a little? What do you think?

[EJM]

Jackie: Sorry I cannot help with the pain, I'm new to BFing myself. If you need the name of an LC, we are in the same area and I would be happy to send you the name of the woman I had planned to use (I didn't end up needing her, but I got her name as a rec and spoke to her before my DD was born just in case I needed help).

[krbb]

MrsTazlvr - My son is 8 weeks and I am just starting to enjoy it or should I say not dread feeding him. At first I thought I cannot do this for a whole year, which is my goal. We kept giving each other thrush for almost 6 weeks and he started coming off the breast screaming like he was in pain. That they think is due to reflux which he has been so much better with eating since he started his medication. I thought ok it will be tough going in but I didn't realize how tough especially like you said everyone seems to love it. I finally just had to keep thinking it is going to take time and is a huge learning process for both me and DS. I also quickly figured out how much of a confidence game BF is. Also my DS never nursed for an hour either. I think his record is 40 minutes but that was during a growth spurt. He usually nurses for about 20 minutes.

[Jackie&Tom]

Marisa - Sometimes, we're in a horrible position, so that's probably it. Sometimes, I'm just so happy to have him latch on, I'll deal with however we got there!! I'll try more pillows!! Sometimes, I have a hard time getting him belly to belly because he's soo wild!

Thank you again for your help!!

EJMI'd love the info...I've hesitated contacting my hospital because they only offer phone support. I think I'm at the point where I could definitely use someone to come to my home for some help! Thanks!

[Mickey&B]

I know this has been covered before but I didn't find anything to help me through this. How do you get through nursing strikes? I think we are going through one right now and I am going to loose my mind soon :confused:

[Kiley]

Mickey, I saw your post in August Mommies and are you sure it's a strike? It sounds like Aidan might be going through a growth spurt especially since he's coming up on 6 months. Latching on and off and ways to get a let down faster or another one. He might be getting fussy at the breast because there's not as much milk there as he wants, thus nursing to increase your supply. I'm no expert, but that might be one explanation.

(What exactly is a nursing strike and how do you recognize one?)

[Mickey&B]

Honestly I am not sure even after reading about it in my BF'ing book. This is what he is doing: starts to nurse, latches on for a few seconds and then pops off and starts to scream. I tried switching sides but that doesn't help he was literally screaming his head off last night and then again this morning :( . I know that there was at least some milk, because when I squeezed my breast I could see milk comming out, at that point he was so frustrated he didn't even want to latch on. I am not ruling out a growth spurt, but the last couple of times he did have one I don't remember it being like this at all.

[Allegra]

Mickey, it doesn't "sound" like a nursing strike, it sounds like there is something else going on. Maybe ears bothering him or a tooth?

Allegra

[Kiley]

Preston did the screaming thing too at one point. We thought maybe his ears, maybe a tooth, maybe something was hurting him in that position. It lasted a day or so. We were never really sure what caused it - we were out of town at a wedding so we chalked it up to too much stimulation. Hope it passes soon!

[mollyeilis]

Honestly I am not sure even after reading about it in my BF'ing book. This is what he is doing: starts to nurse, latches on for a few seconds and then pops off and starts to scream. I tried switching sides but that doesn't help he was literally screaming his head off last night and then again this morning :( . I know that there was at least some milk, because when I squeezed my breast I could see milk comming out, at that point he was so frustrated he didn't even want to latch on. I am not ruling out a growth spurt, but the last couple of times he did have one I don't remember it being like this at all.

That's not a nursing strike...no worries. :)

When my guy would pull off and all that, if I let him continue, he'd soon get another letdown. It was part of his way of getting lots and lots of milk from me.

I know it's hard...breathe deeply and try to give yourself calming messages...I'm sort of Buddhist so I'd relax my hands, open my palms, and literally say "ohmmmmm". Feel free to calm yourself in another way. :)

Just keep in mind that he's up to something, that he knows what he is doing, and that the BEST thing you can do is keep yourself as nourished (physically and emotionally) as possible, and let him work it out!

Can you read books while he's nursing? In the early months I went through the Harry Potter series twice, well, the lighter books, that is. :rolleyes:

[Mickey&B]

Ohh I hope this passes soon, it's so heart renching :( I wish I could read but he not only screams but does the whole stiffining of his body too, and God forbid I do something else besides look at him while I am nursing or he wants to see what I am looking at :rolleyes:
I guess I just wanted reassurance that I wasn't letting my child starve if I don't give him a bottle. I just don't know how long I can go listening to him freak out without just giving in and giving him a bottle when I know he will calm right down with it.
I'll try the breathing and trying to relax more during feedings and hopefully this passes soon.
Thanks again ladies ;)

[Dreshny]

Mickey: It's better if you don't give him a bottle, but you could try a cup. My DS did this, too, and it passed in a couple of days, but I found that what worked was nursing him when he was very, very sleepy.

[HollyMN]

At my ds' six month appointment today, the pediatrician recommended water or fluoride drops. I wasn't planning to give him water yet - she didn't mention it for thirst reasons, but for dental reasons. Should we do the drops? What are any reasons to not give water? Thanks!

[Marisa]

Holly -- there's some doubt about whether fluoride is necessary for younger infants, especially those without (many) teeth. I think drs. are in the habit of pushing them on BFed babies, because formula is fortified with all this extra stuff. (Same with iron drops -- they're usually not necessary, but they're pushed because BM is 'low in iron'.)

The fact is, maybe breastmilk is low in fluoride for a reason! Infants don't need a heavy dose of it, and in fact too much can lead to fluorosis (a deterioration of the teeth and bones). Drs. should remember that it's formula that's trying to be more like the 'perfect food' -- breastmilk. I just read the other day that formula-fed babies whose food is prepared using fluoridated water have 100-200 times as much fluoride in their bodies as breastfed babies. When you think about the fact that this is a 10-pound person here, that's quite a lot!

Anyway, that's my feeling on the topic. I never gave my son fluoride supplements. I never gave him any supplement at all until his iron levels did come back low, but that was after he was already a year old.

As for giving water, you certainly could, but just the same way that you'd give solids -- just for practice, not forcing a certain amount every day. Offer in a sippy cup, maybe your baby will swallow a little, but no pressure. Water has no nutritional value -- there's no reason to fill your baby's tummy with ounces of water when milk would be much better for his developing brain and growing body. :)

Here's something on Kellymom about water and fluoride:
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/baby-water.html
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/vitamins.html#Fluoride


Mickey -- hang in there. I know how rough this must be. :( I agree with Roseanne, he's old enough to try a cup (with your help of course) or even a 'slushie' -- I used to freeze breastmilk in ice cube trays and chop it up into a slush to spoon feed. (If it's teeth that are making him so uncomfortable, that might even feel nice in his mouth.)

[Mickey&B]

I stuck it out tonight, and didn't give him a bottle. It took me over an hour to finally get him to sleep, when it usually only takes about 20 minutes of BF'ing to do the trick. Anyway he nursed on both sides then started fussing, bobbing of and on, he cried in histerics for about 20 minutes turning his nose up at the breast and only crying harder :( finally he latched back on and nursed again on both sides with some fussing in between. The only other thing I can think of is that this weekend he spent the night at his grandmas and had a bottle before bed and most of the next day, and so now he is just getting frustrated with the flow and possibly the supply. It's just so hard to trust your body sometimes, I want to believe that my body will know to produce more if he needs it, if I just stick with it. As always I start to doubt myself, and my supply. I just have to keep telling myself that he is getting what he needs.

[newyorkgirl]

Well, I went to the acupuncturist to treat my thrush - she said she's treated several clients for thrush, and her practice includes a lot of new mothers - and we'll see if it works... She said there were several blockages in my midsection and she cleared those, but she also gave me an herbal mixture to put on my nipples and I just wanted to make sure these herbs weren't going to adversely affect BFing.

It's a powdered mixture of atractylodes stem, phellodendron bark and cyathula root. She said normally she has her clients ingest it in the form of a tea, but she wants me to put it on my nipples, then cover it with a wet tea bag of mint and green tea. Are all these herbs okay?

[JillyB]

Mickey&B - I was going through the EXACT same thing about a week ago. It only lasted a few nights for us, but I thought I was going to pull my hair out while trying to get him down for bedtime. I just couldn't figure out what "the deal" was either, b/c DS isn't sick or teething (at least I don't think so). I also started "questioning" myself/my supply. Anyway, I hope your situation is like mine (since our kiddies are about the same age), and the "fussiness" passes soon. Hang in there. He still occassionly does the "stiff as a board" thing, like he's going to start crying, but then, he "gets back to business". ;) In my case, it seems like his nursing sessions are getting a little shorter these days, so I'm just chalking all of the fussiness up to some sort-of growth-spurt? I'm guessing that it was DS's way of somehow adjusting "the boob" to his growing needs? :confused: But rest assured that he IS getting EXACTLY what he needs!!!! HTH!

[2002BeachBride]

Hi Ladies!

I'm looking for some advice and support here....I'm being told from all directions that my almost 6month DD should not NEED to eat during the night (she currently nurses once before going to bed, around midnight, and around 4 or 5 am)...now here's the other thing ....she still sleeps in our bedroom next to our bed and is still swaddled...

So, I'm being told she needs to be in her own room, not eat at night and put herself to sleep no matter what that entails (read:CIO) and it just doesn't feel RIGHT to me...I'm usually good about ignoring instructions that don't fit into my parenting style, but for some reason this is just stressing me out immensley...:(

So, knowing that all children are unique, I was just wondering what other mommies are doing - if your child sleeps in his/her own crib in another room how do you handle nightly feedings? The transition into the crib?:confused:

Thanks for any advice...

Jen:)

[Marisa]

Jen -- LLL's official position is that while *some* babies no longer need to eat at night, others do -- it's not a sweeping generalization that should be made about every baby. Also, at six months, babies are going through their most rapid stage of brain development, which can contribute to nightwakings as well. Responding to your baby quickly, soothing them with nursing, will help your baby through this challenging time and hopefully help her to come out the other side confident, without 'separation anxiety' (at least without crippling separation anxiety -- most babies go through it a little).

My mom (an IBCLC) always says that for at least the first year, you're not doing anything wrong by just 'doing what works', to get through each day. If keeping your baby close and nursing her at night means that the whole family is happier, then that's what you should do. She's way too young to start thinking that you're creating bad habits, or anything like that.

As for what we did, it's not for everyone. My son still nurses occasionally overnight, although he's old enough now that I can reason with him if I'm really not up for it. He still sleeps in our bed, but starts the night and goes for his longest stretch in his own toddler bed in our room (we set it up when he was around 19 mos). We had a crib set up in the nursery for a while, but I guess you can call me lazy. It was much easier to roll over and have my baby snuggled up right there. :)

As for dealing with all the 'helpful' advice, I think I'd probably say something non-committal (esp. if they're 'helpful' family members). You know, like, "Oh, really? I'll have to think about that." or "Hmm. Isn't it funny how every baby is so different?" And then I'd pretty much tune out. :)


Erika -- for some reason atractylodes is the only one listed in the Nursing Mother's Herbal -- but that one is a "A" -- no contraindications. I'm heading out for the day very soon, but I'll look more later...

[BusyBee]

BeachBride,
I would nurse DD to sleep in our bed, then move her into the pack-n-play bassinet in our room until 6 months. Now, I still nurse her to sleep in bed and carry her to the crib in her room. (The monitor is on so I can hear the tick of her clock.)
If she woke at night, I would roll her onto her side, and she fell right to sleep - I'd try it a while before BFing until it was clear she wasn't going back to sleep. I'd bring her back to our bed, and depending how late it was, and the number of times I got up with her already, I'd keep her till morning (about once a week).

I also fed her whenever she wanted at night - around 7-1/2 months she skipped the midnight snack herself.
She still gets up to eat around 4 am, which I don't mind. She won't take a bottle while I'm at work, so I'm glad for that extra nursing.

[NYN]

Jen: my DD is a little over 6 months and just started waking up at night again (midnight and 4am). she is still in my bed (i have no intention of moving her anytime soon) AND for the past two days we've had to revert to swaddling her b/c she is going through this phase where she can't calm herself down enough to fall asleep at night!!! so essentially we are in the same boat as you.

how do i deal w/ critisism? i either don't b/c i just lie to people (for example, they'll say "is she STTN?" and i say "oh yeeesssss.") or if someone says something ridiculous, like she should be sleeping in her crib, i say "really? what makes you say that?" which confuses them enough for me to have time to slip away. :D

[Dreshny]

Jen: My 8-month-old DS is still waking every two hours at night to eat. :rolleyes: We're cosleeping, or I'd lose my mind.

I know what you mean about the criticism, though. You want to follow your instincts, and "professionals" tell you your instincts are wrong, and it really makes you question yourself.

This parenting thing is hard. ;)

[Allegra]

Jen,
another co-sleeping, swaddling, nursing at night mom here. My dd is 14 months so - I say follow your "jungle momma instincts" Quote fom our local LLL leader.

Allegra

[2002BeachBride]

Oh my gosh! You ladies are just awsome:D I've got tears in my eyes...feeling so much better about all this...

Thank you, Marisa, BusyBee, NewYork, Dreshny and Allegra - I so appreciate the feedback! I REALLY needed to hear that what I'm doing is FINE because it works for us...DD is such a happy baby...

I am going to try to phase out the swaddle ... anyone have any tips? Just do it cold turkey? Hm...maybe she just needs it for a little while longer..

Let me say it again - THANK YOU!!!:D :D THANK YOU:D

Jen

[newyorkgirl]

beachbride - ITA with the PPs. Do what your instincts are telling you - we have this one year (plus) of their lives to enjoy the amazing bond that BFing gives us. So we lose a little bit of sleep by caring for them in the middle of the night. Big deal. :)

Re: swaddling, we finally broke DS out of his swaddling for good around 4.5 months. We did it slowly - first one arm, and then we would alternate which arm would get swaddled. Then we'd only swaddle the bottom half of the body. Once we did that, we could switch to the sleepsack. Plus, once he found his thumb and knew how to self-soothe (a little after 4 months), it was a lot easier.

Marisa - thanks for looking up those herbs. If you get a chance, I'd appreciate it if you could find some info on the other two herbs.

[maggieb]

2002BeachBride: Marisa turned 7 mos today and I still swaddle her to nurse and to go to sleep. She's perfectly healthy and has met all of her milestones so far. I'm not ready to stop the swaddling. It still works for us and I'm all for things that work. I keep telling myself that she won't go to college needing to be swaddled. ;)

[Marisa]

Erika -- this article says that caution should be used with high doses of phellodendron -- but I don't know what your dosage is, and the article discusses ingesting the herb, not using it topically (look under the subheading Herbs and Nursing):
http://www.itmonline.org/arts/breast.htm

This seems to be the best I can do on the cyathula --

http://www.senhealth.com/vsite/vcontent/page/xmlcontent/0,11740,4822-129355-130663-19372-69094-xmlcontent-item,00.html

[lml41981]

Hey, quick question...I want to delay solids until 7 months because I want to ensure that the lining of DD's digestive system has closed off fully before introducing anything other than BM. The doctor said I can delay fruits and veggies until 7 months, but I need to start rice cereal at 6 months because my breastmilk won't have enough iron and zinc for DD. I have food allergies and both our families have pretty bad environmental allergies, so I *really* want to delay.

Have any of you had blood drawn to check H&H to see if there's a real reason to start solids, or is it not worth that trouble/pain?

[Marisa]

lml - the iron test can actually be done with a simple prick on the finger -- sure, it's not pleasant, but WAAAAY easier than actually drawing blood. Your dr's office should be able to accommodate you there. (We have had the finger prick done at Joey's 18m and 2yr visits because his iron was low at the 1yr visit, and I wanted to be sure that it was staying at an acceptable level.)

Just because a BFed baby is not being supplemented with iron, doesn't mean that she will be iron-deficient. Most BFed babies have stores of iron built up to last them at least well into the second half of their first year.

If you do the finger prick at six months and find that she is on the low side (I believe that a BFed baby should be in the 10-11 range, I can check that) -- there are other foods you can offer that are also high in iron. Sweet potatoes are a great first food, you can offer them at six months, and are a great source of iron. So's meat, if you want to actually puree it. :D

[magdesilver]

lml- that's simply not true. Yes, the iron stores are *starting* to run out in the 2nd 6 months, but they are typically not *gone*. Here's some info from kellymom:
http://kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/iron.html

I think you will be fine to start solids at 7 months.

[lml41981]

lml- that's simply not true. Yes, the iron stores are *starting* to run out in the 2nd 6 months, but they are typically not *gone*. Here's some info from kellymom:
http://kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/iron.html

I think you will be fine to start solids at 7 months.
Yeah, I had looked at that page and bookmarked it before so that I could print it out to take with me in April.

I think I'll ask for the test. She's been super supportive of my breastfeeding, so far, but this is a matter where we do disagree. And, well, I plan to wait till 7 months anyway. It is just a matter of whether or not I lie to her or she accepts that I'm going to do it anyway.

eta: Marisa, did you mean offer sweet potato in lieu of BM?

[Marisa]

No, I meant in addition to -- however you would have offered cereal, once a day, a 1/2 tablespoon at a time, mixed with BM... you know. :)

[lml41981]

No, I meant in addition to -- however you would have offered cereal, once a day, a 1/2 tablespoon at a time, mixed with BM... you know. :)
Gotcha...yeah, I knew to mix the cereal with BM. I really need to get a book on infant nutrition and read it in the next two months before I start feeding solids.

[magdesilver]

I don't even really think you need to test her, honestly, unless it's to prove a point to your ped. that she's fine. I did start my DD on cereal w/bm around 6mos, 1 wk, (she only took very tiny amounts in the beginning) and then a few days later she had a strange rash. I took her to the ped. and she said it was probably a virus but to be sure let's back off on the cereal for a week. So by then she was 6.5 months and we went on a 10 day trip. During that time I gave her a small amount of cereal or sweet potatoes but it really wasn't a big amount and only once a day. It wasn't until she was almost 7 months when we got home that I really started offering her food more and that she started eating more. So by 7 months she had only had cereal w/bm and stage 1 sweet potatoes, at the most a TBSP at a time. And I was never told to give iron supplements or have her tested.

[elladee]

My DD is 3 weeks old and nursing every 2-3 hours. I really want to start pumping to build up a freezer stash, but I'm not sure of the best way to work it around her feedings. Any advice? TIA!

[Marisa]

Lisa -- one of the most effective ways to start building a stash, actually, will probably take a little practice on your part. When you're nursing her on one side, you can pump the other side (or even just hold up the pump to catch any milk, if you tend to leak on the other side already). You experience letdown in both breasts at once, so you can take advantage of the more powerful letdown that the baby will give you (as opposed to what you can get with just the pump).

Other than that, I used to have good luck pumping when my DS went down for a morning nap. He would wake up, eat, then go back to sleep for another hour and a half or so. I'd jump in the shower, then pump (so about 20-30 minutes after I'd just fed him) -- then maybe have another half hour to 'recharge' the milk before he'd wake up hungry again.

You're constantly making milk, and they say that your stores of milk are built back up again within about a half hour after a feeding.

[SiValleySteph]

elladee, I was never as coordinated as Marisa to pump while feeding on the other side. ;) What I did was do two feedings in a row from the same side (my son was a one side eater) and then pump the other side when he went down for a nap. The next feed would be from the pumped side. It worked pretty well for me. I tried to do it once a day.

[Marisa]

Hey, I'm not saying I was good at it! :D

[HGMorgann]

I wanted to share: Today, before naptime, I asked my 11 mo. DD if she wanted "nursies"...to that she started clapping her hands:-) It was so sweet! Melts my momma heart.

[Dreshny]

HGMorgann: Yeah, Asher's (8 months) been letting out yips of joy when the BBs come out. :D

[HGMorgann]

Dreshney That is so sweet! Its wonderful when they acknowledge all the hard work (but wonderful) we put into BF:-)

[Marisa]

Since we're sharing, here's a sweet story about my nursing toddler.... :)

Joey wanted to nurse before his nap yesterday, and I was apparently taking too long getting ready to lay down with him... So I finally get there, and I'm getting ready and I say, "Ok, here's the milkies!" And he says, "Knock knock, who there, MILKIES YAY!!!" :D

[Dreshny]

Marisa: That's really funny! :D

[elladee]

Awww, I love the toddler stories. Usually my 3 week old either falls asleep or stares straight ahead at the boob while nursing. Yesterday though, during one of her nursings, she looked up at me the whole time. Made my heart melt. I bet it gets even better when they interact like that.

Marisa and Steph, thanks for the help. Marisa, that sounds like a neat trick! Maybe I'll give it a try. DD does prefer one boob over the other, so I may just go with Steph's approach.

[Daniel's Kitty]

Okay what is the easiest way to deal with a very distractable baby?

I am going nuts!!! I can't even take a sip of liquid without him wanting a taste, and he pops off to go after the glass. A car going by disturbs him. He has to investigate any noise. I can't just sit someplace quiet since any noise is new and exciting even if it is half a mile away.

[Kiley]

Okay what is the easiest way to deal with a very distractable baby?

I am going nuts!!! I can't even take a sip of liquid without him wanting a taste, and he pops off to go after the glass. A car going by disturbs him. He has to investigate any noise. I can't just sit someplace quiet since any noise is new and exciting even if it is half a mile away.


ME TOO! ME TOO!

It's sooooo annoying! I used to be able to eat or drink or even hold a conversation and now, I can't do anything! As a result, he eats less during the day and wants to eat more at night. Used to be just once, now it's three times a night! Yikes, I'm tired!

[Marisa]

DK -- around this stage I bought a nursing necklace -- a string of bright colored plastic beads that would entice Joey to keep looking in the right direction long enough to get a good feeding in.

Mine is from http://www.tickled-pink-designs.com/ and looks a lot like this one:

http://tickled-pink-designs.com/images/IMG1777.JPG

But if you do a Google search you'll see a lot of places that make/sell them, some with very pretty smooth stones, etc. (Ones that you wouldn't be embarrased to leave on and wear! :))

[Daniel's Kitty]

Great Idea
I have a bunch of plastic beads I think I will try to make one. I don't care too much about looking funny, but I will never be able to NIP again if he doesn't stop popping off every few seconds.

Kiley Must have something to do with the age ;)!!! I think it is going to be a battle as long as they are nursing unless they are really hungry or really need to be comforted.

[lorialys]

My son has been doing this too lately and he's only 4 months! :rolleyes: ADHD runs in the family though. ;) LOL, just kidding. :D

[lml41981]

HGMorgann: Yeah, Asher's (8 months) been letting out yips of joy when the BBs come out. :D
DD is 4 months (wow!). We don't get yips yet, but when I am home, I typically don't wear a shirt because she nurses so often. Anyway, if she is fussy, all I have to do is unsnap my bra and lower the flap. Her eyes will lock onto my BB and she smiles so huge. It is really nice to know, even now, that she likes nursing.

Oh, and last night we were marathon feeding, so I wasn't even wearing a bra...I sat her on the couch for a second while I got some water. When I came back, I sat down and turned toward her to talk to her. She turned her head, arched h